Gilgamesh the King

by Ludmila Zeman

Book Overview

Gilgamesh, half-god and half-man, in his loneliness and isolation becomes a cruel tyrant over the citizens of Uruk. To impress them forever he orders a great wall to be built, driving his people to exhaustion and despair so that they cry to the Sun God for help. In answer, another kind of man, Enkidu, is sent to earth to live among the animals and learn kindness from them. He falls in love with Shamhat, a singer from the temple, and he follows her...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0887764371
• ISBN13: 9780887764370
• Release Date: April 1998
• Publisher: Tundra Books (NY)
• Length: 24 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 10.0" x 11.2"
• Age Range: 7 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 4

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Series!

We really appreciate the beauty of this series of books as it covers "The Epic of Gilgamesh" in an appropriate and accessible way for our children. We love to use actual historic documents in our study if possible, but the actual epic is too uncomfortably graphic even for our older children, so we use these for everyone as we study Mesopotamia, Sumer and Babylon. There are not many books that cover these Near East cultures, which makes this set especially valuable. Along with "Our Young Folks' Josephus" as our history spine, "Science in Ancient Mesopotamia" and "Ancient Egyptians and their Neighbors: An Activity Guide (covering Hittites, Nubians, Mesopopotamians and Egyptians) this series helps considerably to round out our ancient history studies and to teach our children about one of the most ancient tales in the world in a beautifully engaging way.

Gilgamesh the King by Ludmila Zeman

This is a fantastic version of the Epic of Gilgamesh -- for children, ages 4 - 12. The illustrations are colorful and very similar to the Sumerian/Babylonian style of art. The recounting is easy for children to follow. I bought it for my 7 year old but my four year old was riveted. There are other more thorough versions around but this is a great one for a beginner. Make sure you buy all 3 books in the series to get the whole epic, the other two being The Revenge of Ishtar and The Last Quest of Gilgamesh.

Timeless story and exquisite illustration

My children and I are beginning a study of ancient civilizations and I bought the three Gilgamesh books to expand our coverage of ancient Sumer. These books are just amazing! The story itself is powerful but I wondered how the author was going to tone down some of the violence; not to mention the fact that Shamat was a prostitute in other versions. Ludmilla Zeman has brought this story to children with intensity and grace that comes as a complete surprise. I especially liked her painting of the chaste kiss between Shamat and Enkidu with the explanation that Shamat taught Enkidu to speak and together they explored the ways of love. Very tender. In her illustrations, Ludmilla Zeman has made an attempt to incorporate actual historical artifacts. These are all high-quality books in every sense and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

A suprising find

I bought this book in hardcover, thinking I would "educate" my 6 yo daughter with it and then donate it to the library. What a surprise! My daughter loves this book and we have read it again and again. There are many aspects that combine to make this a book worth having. The text tells of a famous legend, with fear, love and friendship all woven together. The illustrations are lyrical--emphasizing story aspects rather than true life / art perspective. My daughter likes that the hidden hero is a woman, Shamhat. Although "recommended" for older children, I would recommend this for 6 to 8 yo's.

A Wonderful Rendition for Children and Adults

The beautiful drawings tell the long forgotten tales of Gilgamesh with glory and a sense of humor. The pictures resemble ancient Babylonian art and my 9 an 12 year old children asked to see this series of books again and again. The human and animal characters show love, devotion, and fear in this well told epic story. Very worth while.